Get Inspired

Science Expeditions

Science Expeditions- aims to get kids outside the classroom learning real field science. Designing research methodologies, collecting data, analyzing their results, and learning to write real scientific research papers.

Orange County Ocean Restoration Project

Get Inspired is dedicated to inspiring stewardship and curiosity for the natural world through the exploration of science.  We have an innovative approach to our mission by involving and engaging the public inocean restoration projects and getting people out into nature to experience science.  Green Abalone- With 20 years of ocean restoration experience in Orange County, we are restoring green abalone a species that despite protection for the last 22 years, is not recovering and needs help. To do this, we have launched our Green Abalone Restoration Project.  This project  includes collaboration with five public aquariums, hundreds of volunteer divers, 30,000 children growing them in their classrooms, and will educate millions of people about the story of our abalone and how we nearly overfished them all in one human lifetime.  We hope that this story will not only help the abalone but will raise the consciousness of our communities to understand the fragile balance in our ecosystems and that they can all individually and collectively can make an impact. Pismo Clams -We have also begun to work on restoring Pismo clams. Once very abundant on our coast. Up until the 1970's, on a warm day during low tide, you could see hundreds of people and families out digging for clams to make chowders for dinner. Now they are so rare, people don't even bother looking for them. We would like to bring them back so we are working to find any remaining clam populations and then figure out how to spawn and grow them to replenish our beaches. Eventually we want to teach kids to grow them in their classrooms. White Seabass- Over the last 10 years, we have taught over 5000 kids to grow white seabass in their classrooms for release into the ocean. The kids learn aquaculture, kelp forest ecology, ocean chemistry, and engineering. They have to learn to make their own seawater to grow the fish. Twice a year, we release the fish in Newport and Huntington Harbors.  

Pismo Clam Restoration Project

We just became the first in the world to spawn and grow Pismo clams. We need to build a proper hatchery to repeat our success from last year's successful spawn. ( They only do it once per year)